Bus Skids in Rain on Freeway; 16 Injured
Sixteen people were injured Monday when their tour bus skidded out of control in the rain and into traffic on the Golden State Freeway near Gorman, authorities said.
Sgt. Craig Whitty of the California Highway Patrol attributed the crash to the driver’s speed, about 60 mph, combined with the thunderstorm and hail.
The bus ended up on the side of the freeway, and the incident forced the closing of two northbound lanes.”It was a big mess,” said CHP Officer Ron Padley.
The bus had been going south when the driver lost control about 5:20 p.m., Whitty said. The bus slid and turned on its side, hit a guardrail and continued sliding into the northbound lanes until it hit a Freightliner carrying new cars.
Fifteen passengers suffered minor to moderate injuries. The driver’s injuries were moderate, authorities said.
The bus, named Azteca de Oro, was traveling from Fresno to Los Angeles.
The driver of the Freightliner wasn’t injured, but two cars on his rig were extensively damaged.
Authorities were continuing their investigation.
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